Sights of Seattle: photos and descriptions. The main attractions of Seattle: list, photos and description Seattle - holidays with children
Pioneer Square is the birthplace of Seattle, the largest city in the northwestern United States. Here you can see magnificent old red brick houses, cozy pavements typical of the northern United States, as well as totems in the form of various signs.
Travelers will find it very interesting to walk around this historical part of the city, looking at ancient buildings decorated with totem signs.
In the evening, a lot of young people gather on the square, confused by the wide variety of restaurants, bars and pubs.
Mirror Lakes
The Mirror Lakes are a group of lakes located in the valley of the Cascade Mountains. These lakes are a nature reserve, so fishing is strictly prohibited here. Also, according to local rules, you cannot enter the water or swim here, and access to many shores is limited to restore the local ecosystem.
Hiking trails are laid throughout the reserve, along which you can travel independently or accompanied by a ranger. You need to be very careful, as not all trails are equally well marked, and each guidebook describes their length and features differently. Also, in addition to hiking, the reserve offers rental of boats and equipment.
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Seattle Chinese Garden
Traditional landscape design of Chinese gardens appeared back in 607, when the Chinese themselves began to imitate the imperial gardens. Over time, the unusual vision spread throughout the world, but only real masters of garden art can create symbolic images from an ordinary small pebble or a small pond. In order to see a real Chinese garden, you don’t have to go to the Middle Kingdom. You can visit a small copy of it in Seattle.
The Seattle Chinese Garden was created according to special rules that were thought out to the smallest detail. Traditional materials were used for it - natural stones, bamboo, trees, gravel and water. Elegant lanterns located along the banks of the reservoir were used as decoration. The garden is designed in Sichuan style. There are few plants here and they all fit organically into the surrounding landscape without disturbing the natural harmony. A separate non-profit organization, the Seattle Chinese Garden Society, was created to care for and maintain the garden.
There is a fee to visit the Chinese Garden in Seattle: $6 adults and $5 children.
The oldest market in the United States is located in Seattle on the Pacific Gulf coast and is called Pike Place Market in honor of the street on which it is located, it is also known as Pike Market. It is a six-story building. Here you can buy antiques and old books, as well as works of American artisans, but the real asset of this market is its delicious products. Fresh seafood, meat, vegetables and fruits are bought here, which is why Pike Place Market is so famous among farmers and fishermen, because this is where they bring their best goods.
And to entertain customers and earn a little money, street actors and musicians stage all kinds of performances and small concerts. Maybe it’s the diligent artists, or maybe it’s the quality of the products presented, but the Pike Market is famous not only among city residents, but also among many of its guests.
"Space Needle"
The Space Needle is a famous tower that has become perhaps the main attraction of Seattle, a real symbol of the city. The 184-meter-tall monument was a gift to the city from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.
With its outlines, the Space Needle somewhat resembles a huge tower with a landing pad for a flying saucer. From here you can enjoy stunning views of the picturesque surroundings of Seattle - the Cascade Mountains, the Olympic Range, and the Pacific coast are clearly visible. The restaurant "Heavenly City" is also located here. This is an unusual restaurant, it rotates and one rotation takes exactly 47 minutes, so you can admire the panorama of the city and enjoy your meal at the same time. "Heavenly City" is considered the largest restaurant on the coast, and its menu is the most exquisite. You can buy something as a souvenir in the souvenir shop, which is also located on the upper platform.
The most popular attractions in Seattle with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose the best places to visit famous places in Seattle on our website.
Seattle is made up of many neighborhoods. In addition, some of its suburbs are also considered part of the city. I will tell you about the most, in my opinion, interesting and worthy of attention. You can book through Booking - here, but here you can check if there are better prices somewhere.
Downtown (1)
Like, perhaps, all American cities, there is a downtown (the central part of the city, where not only skyscrapers, office buildings and banks are located, but also various entertainment venues, restaurants and bars).
In principle, if you look for housing in advance, you can relatively inexpensively rent a room in a 3 or even 4-star hotel. A day will cost 100-150 USD. The proximity to the center and the presence of bars will certainly attract the attention of wealthy young people.
Belltown (2)
Part of downtown, here, as they say, is expensive and rich. Perhaps this is where the picky tourist should stop. However, as you might guess, it is unlikely that you will be able to find a budget accommodation option. Basically all 4 and 5 star hotels like Sheraton, Hyatt and Hilton are located here. A night there will cost 150-200 USD.
South Lake Union (3)
Another part of downtown. This is where the offices of large companies and business centers are concentrated (for example, Amazon is based here). Despite the fact that this area is replete with office buildings and is rapidly developing (there are construction sites everywhere you look), you can find old buildings from the beginning of the last century here, so if time permits, you can safely go for a walk around this part of the city. There are quite decent hotels here at a reasonable price (100-120 USD per night). Finding something cheaper is difficult, more expensive - please.
China Town (4)
An atmospheric place where you can eat inexpensively and deliciously. This is a very colorful part of Seattle with its own special spirit, which will be interesting to any inexperienced tourist (there are quite a lot of shops with various Asian goods and products), however, if you, for example, have been to China Town in New York, this area of Seattle will attract you unlikely to impress. In addition, here, to put it mildly, it is not very clean and therefore not very pleasant, and in addition, it is unsafe: a large number of tramps, drunks and homeless people increases the chances of getting into trouble (at least losing your wallet). 2 and 3 star hotels here cost around 90-130 USD per night.
Pioneer Square (5)
This is the historical center of the city, where its most important attractions are concentrated. Definitely the most interesting area for tourists. The houses that appeared here in the 19th century were wooden, but, alas, the fire of 1889 destroyed them and the buildings did not survive to this day. Now Pioner Square, among other things, attracts tourists, and local residents too, with a large number of cafes, art galleries, bars and nightclubs. This is where I would advise stopping. Of course, accommodation in this area will cost a pretty penny - it’s extremely difficult to find accommodation for less than 100 USD per night.
Capitol Hill (6)
Another interesting part of the city. This is a very pretentious and probably the richest area of Seattle. It’s just interesting to walk around and look at the expensive mansions. Cafes, bars, parks - there is plenty of it all here. Don't be surprised if you meet a large number of gay and informal people. By the way, grunge originated on Capitol Hill. It’s definitely worth coming here for a walk, but I don’t recommend staying here: it’s expensive and it’s a bit far from the center (25-30 minutes by bus). On average, hotel prices start from 170-180 USD per night.
Magnolia
This is a prestigious area of the city with a large number of private expensive houses. There is incredibly clean air, magical nature and a famous park - Discovery Park (I'll tell you about it later). This is where I was lucky enough to live. However, the downside is that it takes about 45 minutes to get to the city center by bus. There are no hotels directly in the area. You can rent a house for 180-200 USD per day. If you go with a group, it will be very profitable.
U-district
Above all else, Seattle is a student city. There are several fairly prestigious colleges located here (the most famous is the University of Washington). Therefore, it is no wonder that there is a whole area U-district(university) where they are concentrated. By the way, you can also go here for a cultural program - most of the city's theaters are located in this area. There is not such a large selection of hotels here as in the city center, but you can find inexpensive motels and hotels for 80-90 USD per night.
The city of Seattle is perhaps the largest in the northwestern part of the United States. Together with the suburbs, it forms one of the largest urban agglomerations - 3.4 million inhabitants. It's a business city, just like Dallas. One way or another, this city is associated with large companies and famous people. It was in Seattle that the giant Boeing, the online store Amazon.com and the world-famous coffee chain Starbucks were founded. There are also divisions of Nintendo, T-Mobile, and Valve here. The city also gave the world Bill Gates, Paul Allen and Jimi Hendrix. What makes the city attractive to tourists? I will tell you more about this.
Geography and climate of the city
If you look at a map of the United States, you can see Seattle on the border with Canada, on the western side. The city is located in Washington state, on the isthmus between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. By the way, in the harbor of the bay there are many picturesque islands. A wide strait connects Puget Sound with the Pacific Ocean.
Seattle is surrounded to the east by the Cascade Mountains, and to the west by the Olympic Peninsula, which protects the city from Pacific winds. Because of this location, the city boasts picturesque nature and a mild climate. When you arrive in Seattle, take the time to visit Niagara Falls.
The climate in Seattle is mild, close to the Mediterranean. This gives city residents warm, wet winters and dry summers. The best time to travel to Seattle is in the summer - in July and August, due to its close location to the ocean, temperatures at this time of year average 25 degrees. In addition, at this time there is minimal rainfall.
What to see in Seattle
The city can boast not only that it is a business capital, the complete opposite of the city of Detroit. There are festivals, beautiful architecture, parks, museums and restaurants. I'll tell you more about the most interesting things.
I'll start with the most unusual thing - the wall of chewing gum. It is located in one of the alleys of Seattle and is completely covered with chewing gum. It is believed that initially bored students glued coins onto chewing gum here, and then they began to sculpt everything. City officials initially struggled with this, but in 1999 it was recognized as a landmark. In Seattle, this is now one of the popular places for tourists and wedding photo shoots.
A monument to Lenin that is banal for Russia and unexpected for America. He came here with English teacher Lewis Carpenter from Czechoslovakia after the Velvet Revolution. After this, the statue was divided into three parts and transported to the United States. Naturally, upon arrival, there was a scandal with the local American authorities. But after the death of the teacher in 1994, the monument was erected in the Fremont area. At the moment, the statue of the leader often becomes the object of various art projects in Seattle. In addition, it is decorated for Christmas.
A trip to Seattle isn't complete without visiting the glass garden created by artist Daley Chihuly. In the center of the city, on the grass, among the trees, there are glass sculptures: geometric shapes, flowers, trees. Shimmering with all sorts of colors, they simply amaze the imagination. Looks incredible. Such emotions can only be obtained in Atlantic City.
Seattle Museum of Pop Culture. Founded by Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) in 2000, the exhibition will appeal to film and music lovers. It includes several thematic sections: costume, music and fantasy. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to play the guitar themselves or create a musical arrangement. There are exhibits dedicated to the films “Star Wars”, “The Fifth Element”, “Alien”, “Terminator”, “Star Trek”, as well as video games and various science fiction literature. In addition, the museum often organizes film festivals, with which they tour throughout the United States and the world. The museum also has a very beautiful, unusually shaped building.
Oceanarium. At the same time being a research center, the aquarium opened in 1977. Here you will see various types of marine flora and fauna and even birds living in coastal areas. You can even pet some. After visiting the aquarium, you should go to a souvenir shop or cafe.
Definitely, these are not all the city’s attractions. I advise you to add the following interesting places to your list of places to visit:
- the Space Needle;
- Fremont Troll;
- public library building;
- aviation museum;
- Museum of History and Industry;
- Art Museum;
- Benaroya Hall (concert hall, considered one of the best in the world);
- Ferris wheel;
- zoo;
- observation deck in Kerry Park (this place allows you to take stunning photos of the city);
- boat trip on the ferry.
And for lovers of shopping and souvenirs, I advise you to go to Pike Place Market or Downtown. Pak-Play is the oldest market in the United States. Here you can buy seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as antiques and local handicrafts. In addition, street musicians, clowns or actors often perform here.
By the way, on the territory of this market you can visit the first establishment of a series of Starbucks coffee shops. And most of the boutiques of famous brands are located in Downtown.
Another top tip: If you're looking to save money, head to the new Seattle Premium Outlets, an hour outside of Seattle, for big-name brands at better prices.
Conclusion
It must be admitted that Seattle is rightfully considered one of the best cities in the USA. A trip to Seattle will give you many pleasant emotions and impressions. From admiring the picturesque landscapes to shopping and pop culture. A wonderful city with great opportunities.
What did I know about Seattle before I went there? A little. I heard that grunge was born here (this is where Kurt Cobain is buried), that this city is rich in IT specialists (the head office of Microsoft, Amazon and other large companies is located there) and is the birthplace of Bill Gates, that it’s just a stone’s throw from Canada, and, well, perhaps that's all. After living there for more than two months, I realized that my knowledge was very meager.
“The Emerald City,” as Seattle is unofficially called due to the large amount of greenery, turned out to be much more interesting than I thought.
Seattle settled in the northwest, in Washington state. Despite the fact that the city is not considered large by American standards (the population of Seattle is about 650 thousand people), its significance for the country is great. Located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, Seattle is a major seaport in the United States. In addition, Seattle is an industrial city (the Boeing company was founded here at the beginning of the last century, and now all computer geniuses live and work here). And, by the way, among other things, it was in Seattle that the world's first Starbucks appeared - perhaps the world's most popular coffee shop. But first things first.
How to get there
Probably one of the main reasons why travelers do not include Seattle among the cities to visit is that getting to it from Russia is quite inconvenient. There are no direct flights to Seattle, so, no matter how you look at it, you have to fly with a transfer. And this, as a rule, is always expensive and takes a long time.
By plane
If you buy tickets in advance, you can always find an affordable option. You can see the cost of flights for your dates. On average, tickets will cost 45-50 thousand round trip per person. Travel time will be 17-18 hours with transfers.
By the way, flying with a transfer has its advantages. Firstly, too long flights are always tiring, and if there is a chance to stretch your legs at least a little, why not take advantage of it. Secondly, a transfer is not always one or two hours between flights with the only opportunity to run from one gate to another and rush onto the plane with sweat on your forehead. You can choose a flight option that will allow you to stay at your temporary stop for the amount of time you deem necessary.
Trams
Seattle streetcars have a whole history, fortunately, it has a happy ending. This type of transport appeared in the emerald city at the end of the 19th century, however, as soon as cars began to appear on the roads, the need for it disappeared, and in 1941 trams ceased to exist. Nevertheless, they reappeared in 1982, and now Microsoft itself has a hand in their development. They look very modern and advanced. The fare costs the same as taking a bus. The interval of their movement is 10-15 minutes.
Metro
The Seattle subway is completely different from what we are used to. There are no trains here, but duobuses. They travel through the tunnel like trolleybuses, and along the road like buses. This is a very convenient type of transport, since duobuses are much faster than their younger brothers, and their waiting time does not exceed 1-2 minutes. The metro starts operating at 5 a.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. on weekends, and ends at 1 a.m. and 12 a.m., respectively. The cost depends on the length of your route: the cheapest ticket costs 2.25 USD, the most expensive is a dollar more.
Buses
The bus is the most common form of transportation in Seattle. In the city, by the way, in some areas there are dedicated lanes, which makes buses an even more attractive mode of transport. In general, you can get to any part of the city by bus (even with transfers). All stops have a schedule or electronic display. As a rule, buses adhere to it very strictly and are not late. Rapid Ride buses are something like an express bus. They do not stop at all stops and travel very quickly.
Transport rental
Renting a car in Seattle makes sense if you plan to travel around the area or, for example, rush to Canada. I don’t recommend driving a car around the city - you’ll end up stuck in traffic jams and have trouble with parking.
However, if you decide to rent a car, it is better to do it in advance via the Internet. If you take care of this in advance, you will book a car at a very competitive price (the most economical option can be found for 1500-2000 rubles per day, compare prices from different rental companies). You can pick up the car at the place you choose. Our rights (necessarily in Latin font) suit the Americans quite well, although in various forums they are afraid that international ones are needed.
A gallon of gasoline (approximately 4.5 liters) in Seattle costs 3-3.50 USD.
Rental companies in Seattle trust their cars to drivers who are at least 21 years old. However, if you have not yet reached the age of 25, you will have to pay an additional 5-10 dollars per day from the declared cost for the opportunity to travel by car. Driving experience must be at least 1 year.
Life tip: do not take a car with a built-in navigator (as a rule, this is an additional option for which you need to pay). I'll tell you how to save money and not get lost. Go to Walmart, buy any navigator you like, and then, at the end of your trip, come to any store in the chain and return the gadget you no longer need (keep its presentation, box and receipts). Within a few days you will receive all the money spent on your card on your card. The whole process is extremely simple and fast, no one looks at you like an enemy when handing over the goods. As a reason for returning (if asked at all), you can simply say that you found the navigator inconvenient to use.
Seattle - holidays with children
If you're traveling to Seattle with kids, there's no need to worry about how to entertain them.
, .Anything to add?
Seattle is the largest city in the state of Washington and the entire Northwestern United States, one of the most progressive cities in the States, which gave the world Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon and Nirvana.
I came to Seattle "Cascades" from Portland - the train arrives at the local train station, King Street Station, right in the center of the city.
The first thing you see when leaving the station is the structure of Century Link Field, the stadium of one of the leading NFL teams, the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks are the most popular team in the city; the number “12” is constantly seen in the windows of various establishments - the symbol of Seahawks fans (12th player). It is not surprising that the second place in popularity in the city with the baseball Seattle Mariners is shared by the football (which is soccer) Seattle Sounders - this is noticeable in the T-shirts and caps, and on Sunday evening at the ferry terminal there was a crowd of Sounders fans heading to match of her team, was quite comparable to the crowd of Mariners fans returning from the match.
Seattle stretches from north to south, between the Pacific Ocean's Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The terrain is hilly - as befits any self-respecting city, Seattle stands on seven hills. The climbs and descents are not as steep as in San Francisco (with the exception of Queen Anne Hill).
It’s easy to navigate, as in most other American cities with a grid of avenues and streets intersecting at right angles. Avenues are numbered, and streets have their own names.
The climate is quite maritime and very changeable; in the morning the sun was shining, and in the evening everything was covered in clouds and a light drizzle. Or vice versa.
Seagulls also fly over the city in abundance and shit on the heads of passers-by :)
I stayed at Green Tortes, the best hostel on the Pacific Coast of the United States, in an old building directly opposite the main building of Pike Place Market. A place in a cozy dorma costs $32, breakfast is included, although you have to bake your own pancakes or scrambled eggs. It's a short walk to the waterfront or Westlake Center, 10 minutes to the ferry terminal, and a City supermarket and Pike pub/brewery ($6 per gallon).
Washington state sales tax is quite high at 9.6%.
Local public transportation is concentrated around the Westlake Center, a three-story department store on Pine Street. A monorail runs from the 3rd floor of Westlake itself. Nearby, on 2nd and 3rd Avenues, there are stops for King County Transit buses and trolleybuses going to all parts of the city.
A couple of escalators down is the Downtown Transit Tunnel, built in 1990, through which both buses and light rail run. Behind the department store is the end of the tram.
The main types of urban transport are buses and trolleybuses; there are several hundred routes. There are regular basses - yellow bottom, blue or green top, with two- or three-digit numbers. And there are rapid express trains - with a red top, with lettering for routes.
The only light rail line (a subway tram consisting of a pair of long, wide cars) leads to the airport, and the only streetcar line (a pair of narrow cars) leads to Lake South Union. But new lines are being built, the second tram line is almost ready and will open later this year. Sounder trains run in the area.
The local transport card is called ORCA, it costs 10 dollars (5 is on the account), it is bought in machines at light rail stations, and the sequence of steps in the machine is the most sophisticated ever encountered in the USA. The machine gives change in one-dollar coins - only in ticket machines and I have seen them in the States.
Travel on the tram costs $2.25, on the light rail - from 2.25 to 3 dollars (depending on the distance), buses cost 2.25 or 2.5 dollars, depending on the route. ORCA gives 2-hour free transit when moving between buses/trams.
On regular buses, everything is simple - entry through the front door, with a card attached to the reader or by throwing coins without change.
On rapids, trams and light rail, the system “conscience is the best controller” operates. This is when there are no turnstiles, just before boarding the transport you need to attach a one-time ticket or card purchased from a machine to the validator standing at the bus stop. I met the controllers only once in three days.
It’s best to start your walk around the city from Pioneer Square, a small square with a park a few minutes’ walk from the station. There is also a bust of the leader of the local Indians, Seattle, in whose honor the city received its name.
The skyscrapers of the modern downtown are already towering above them.
Although the pretty white Smith Tower is clearly visible first. Built in 1914 by the famous industrialist L.S. Smith (known as Smith & Wesson), the 38-story skyscraper, 149 meters high, was the first on the Pacific Coast of the United States.
Above and to the right of the Smith Tower, on 4th Avenue there will be the current No. 2 of the Pacific Coast - the 76-story Columbia Center (1985) with a height of 287 meters. There will be an observation deck on the 73rd floor, it costs $12.50, you can pay by card.
Downtown skyscrapers are thinned out by buildings of various museums and other cultural sites, often of a very avant-garde type. Like this main building of the Seattle Public Library, built in 2004.
One of the main attractions of Seattle is Pike Place Market - a market along the waterfront. The most common market.
Behind it there is a descent to the Elliott Bay waterfront. The Alaska Highway Viaduct runs along the bay, which is now being replaced by an underground tunnel.
So the entire embankment is a construction site, through which paths are laid to numerous piers.
On piers 59 and 60 there is a local aquarium, and on pier 57 there is a Ferris wheel and various restaurants.
From Pier 58, cruise ships sail between them on the bay.
The symbol of Seattle is the Space Needle ("Space Needle") - a futuristic tower 184 meters high, built for the 1962 World's Fair.
The best way to go to it is on the monorail, which was built at the same time. Nowadays it leaves from the top floor of Westlike Center - you take the escalator to the 3rd floor and go left.
Payment for fares on this futuristic transport is extremely archaic - ORCA does not work on it, bank cards are not accepted, and there are no ticket machines.
Only cash for the guy sitting at the ticket office - $2.25 one way. A train consisting of a couple of trailers runs every 10 minutes; it takes 3-4 minutes to travel one way along an overpass above the city streets.
The Space Needle is the center of the "21st century city" built for the 1962 World's Fair - Seattle Center.
There are various (now retro)futuristic buildings around, in which museums are located, more aimed at children.
There are also interesting places - like the peace park that was opened at the height of perestroika; there was a steam room in the sister city of Tashkent.
The tram from Westlake Center takes you to Lake South Union.
On its southern bank there is a vast clearing (park), where there is a museum of industrial history.
And several old ships are moored to the wooden embankment.
Even further north there will be Queen Anne Hill with steep ascents and descents - it takes about a quarter of an hour to drive from 3rd Avenue with basses 2,13 and 29. At the top of the hill there are various ancient buildings.
And most importantly, the observation deck above Kerry Park offers a beautiful panorama of the city center and Elliott Bay, and in clear weather Mount Rainier is visible.
To the south of downtown there is a local Chinatown, more tolerantly called ID, that is, the International District.
The quarters, in principle, are not particularly different from the neighboring ones, except that the street names on the signs are duplicated in hieroglyphs, and there are a couple of churches and notice boards in the national style.
There is not a particular abundance of Asian people on the streets of ID - the same percentage as the city average. And an East Asian face is the most common thing in a crowd of Seattleites.
Above are the poorer areas, nicknamed Little Saigon. There are several cheap markets where local housewives shop. The area is also distinguished by an abundance of massage parlors.
Beyond the new tram line, ID goes to First Hill - the hill from which the city began. Green, quiet streets of ordinary houses and other low-rise buildings.
At the top, the huge bulk of the Catholic Cathedral of St. James (1907) rises impressively, occupies an entire block, with the residence of the archbishop and a Catholic school.
There are a lot of interesting places in the Seattle area. In Everett, 25 miles north of Seattle, there is a Boeing plant where you can take a tour (without a camera or anything else you can use to take pictures).
On the other side of the bay from Seattle is the Kitsap Peninsula.
From Pier 52 in Seattle, large ferries from Washington State Ferry, the largest ferry operator in the entire United States, sail to Kitsap all day long. They sail to Bambridge Island (half an hour away) and to Kitsap County's main city, Bremerton (an hour away), and cost $7.85 round trip (free return).
The ferry has a spacious cabin, which has a cafe, vending machines, and tourist information desks. Wi-Fi is paid only. Well, it doesn’t matter - you still hang out on the bow all the time, admiring the gorgeous views of the surrounding area. If, of course, you are lucky with the weather.
On the left hand, in good weather, you can see the white cone of Mount Rainier (4392 meters), the highest peak in the Northwestern United States.
The Kitsap Peninsula will be ahead of you.
Finally, after 3/4 hour of travel, after a turn, Bremerton appears directly ahead with the Olympic Mountains in the background.
The ferry terminal is located in the city center, on the left hand the buildings of the city-forming enterprises are clearly visible - the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Kitsap Naval Base. True, there were no aircraft carriers there when I was there.
The town itself is small and pure white; people in uniform and camouflage are common on the streets.
From the ferry terminal, Kitsap Transit buses and water taxis run to different places on the peninsula, ORCA operates on them.
To the left from the terminal the street leads to the main entrance of the shipyard.
In front of the shipyard entrance is the local naval museum in the old shipyard administration building.
Entrance to the museum itself is free, they give you a booklet, and at the entrance there are a couple of old men who, having learned that they are from Russia, uttered the cherished phrase: “KJB.”
The first floor is dedicated to the history of the Puget Sound Shipyard, established in 1891 and still remaining one of the main shipyards of the US Navy.
On the second floor there is a rather interesting exhibition about life and service on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John C. Stennis, commissioned in 1995. A colorful exhibition, a lot of wax figures in different shapes, screens showing documentaries and interviews with Stennis crew members.
To the right of the terminal there is a local embankment, with trees and lampposts.
At the end of the embankment there will be a museum ship - the destroyer Turner Joy.
The entrance to board is through the souvenir shop, the girl who sells it sells tickets. 12 dollars, they give you a small booklet. Open from 10 am to 5 pm.
There is no influx of visitors - in the first half of the day on Monday it was the first and only one. While signing the guest book, I noticed that even on Sunday only 4 entries were left in it.
An hour of leisurely walking around the premises of the ship from the Vietnam and Cold War eras is enough for the inspection.
In the town of Takwila, 8 kilometers south of downtown Seattle, there is one of the richest aviation museums in the United States, with a collection of more than 150 aircraft.
Take the 124th bus from 3rd Avenue, they run every 15-20 minutes, travel for about half an hour, get off at the 94th Street South stop.
The stop is located right next to the overpass connecting the different museum buildings. I go up the stairs or take the elevator, cross the road and go out into the main building of the museum.
The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm. At the entrance you need to go to the right and go to the ticket office, where you can buy a ticket for $20, which comes with a booklet with a map of the museum. By the way, there is no control in the museum.
There are a number of aircraft installed in an open area near the main building of the museum.
From TransCanada Airlines Super Constellation -
before the first copy of "Dreamliner".
Some planes are allowed inside. The most interesting, of course, is the last Boeing 707, the first jet Air Force One, which served Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.
There are also numerous simulators in the hall for those who want to try themselves as a pilot.
One of the side galleries leads to the space part of the exhibition, the stands cover in detail the history of space exploration -
To the left of the entrance, the path leads to a separate building where aircraft from two world wars are housed.
The Second World War is presented on the 1st floor, the cars are mainly American and British. But there is also the Soviet Yak-9 -
The cars of the First World War on the 2nd floor are represented mainly by replicas -
Adjacent to the main building of the museum is the 2-story wooden Red Barn, where William Boeing began making airplanes in 1917.
I left Seattle by plane. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) is located 19 kilometers south of downtown, 40 minutes light rail, $3. I remember the airport itself for its fast, free and unlimited Wi-Fi, which is something you rarely see at US airports.
2,999 ViewsThe American city of Seattle is surrounded by expanses of water and mountain ranges, which is why it is almost always cloudy and often rains. But despite this, there are always a lot of tourists in Seattle. There is a lot to see here, and we will definitely tell you about the most interesting places and attractions of the city. You will find out where you can buy food and cute things, have a picnic, look at numerous exhibits, relax and admire nature, and learn more about life in the USA and the city of Seattle in particular. The main attractions of Seattle - a full overview in our material.
1. Fremont Troll
Under the George Washington Memorial Bridge is a huge sculpture of the Fremont Troll, installed in 1990. The competition project, which resulted in the birth of Seattle's most unusual landmark, was aimed at clearing debris from the area under the bridge.
The troll is made of steel, a system of cables and concrete, its mass is more than 2 tons, and its height is 5 meters. A few years later, one of the neighboring streets was renamed Troll Avenue.
2. Pike Place Market
If you bought a tour to Seattle and don’t know where to go, then we advise you to first take a walk through one of the oldest public markets in the United States on Pike Place, which was opened in 1907.
There are many amazing and simply interesting shops and shops on it, ranging from ordinary fruit, souvenir or seafood shops, to collectible stores, comic shops, shops selling antiques or musical instruments. There are also many excellent seafood restaurants around Pike Place Market where you can sample fresh salmon.
And yes, Pike Place Market is Seattle's most popular tourist attraction, attracting more than 10 million visitors a year.
3. Boeing Space and Flight Center
For anyone who loves aviation and technology, this day tour to the Boeing plant is a must-have on your itinerary while visiting Seattle. The Boeing Aviation Center is located 25 kilometers from Seattle. During the tour you will be able to see how giant aircraft are assembled in the largest building in the world, including the modern Boeing 787. Unfortunately, you cannot take photographs during a tour of the plant, but you can at the aviation center , which serves as a museum.
You can sit there and feel like a pilot in a real Boeing 727 cockpit, trace the history of Boeing passenger aircraft from the 707 model to the 787, see the original engines up close GE90, which is on Boeing 777 and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 sitting on a Boeing 787.
4. The museum project is the history of music
One of the most unusual museums in the United States is the Science Fiction Museum and Music History Project. The bizarrely shaped building displays musical instruments, audio recordings, videos and photographs related to the life and work of pop stars and opera performers.
The Seattle Science Fiction Museum, which is located in the same building, displays more than 80,000 exhibits of “extraterrestrial” origin, created by talented science fiction writers and Hollywood directors.
5. Tower Space Needle
One of the main attractions of Seattle is the Space Needle tower with a height of 184 meters. The durable structure, built in a futuristic Googie style, can withstand wind gusts of 320 km per hour and tremors of magnitude 9. The tower houses the Sky City restaurant and a beautiful observation deck, which offers stunning views of the city and its surroundings, and on a sunny day you can also see the Cascade Mountains and Mount Rainier.
6. Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square is where Seattle's founders first settled in 1852, and over time the area has grown into one of the most beautiful downtown areas in the United States. Here, old Victorian buildings, lovingly restored, are surrounded by foliage. The neighborhood takes its name from the small triangular paved area near the corner of First Avenue and Yesler Way.
7. Lake Washington
Another attraction of the Seattle area is the large freshwater Lake Washington next to the city. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest natural lake in Washington State, after Lake Chelan.
Lake Washington received its current name in 1854 after Thomas Mercker suggested it be named after George Washington. The lake provides excellent opportunities for sport fishing. It offers fishing for rainbow trout, bass, yellow perch and black crappie.
8. Seattle Great Wheel
The big wheel represents a giantFerris wheel at Pier 57 on Elliott Bay in Seattle, Washington. With a total height of 53.3 meters, it is the tallest Ferris wheel on the West Coast of the United States and opened on June 29, 2012. The Ferris wheel has 42 cabins, which are equipped with climate control.
9. Kerry Park
Kerry Park is a great place to relax after sightseeing in Seattle, it has many lawns where someone is always reading a book, or maybe just sunbathing and relaxing. But the park is especially popular among photographers; it offers a truly magnificent panorama of the city; most photographs of Seattle were taken from Kerry Park.
Kerry Park is located on the southern slope of Queen Anne Hill, located at the corner of Second Avenue and West Highland Drive. According to a plaque on the wall at the park's entrance, it was donated to the city in 1927 by the Kerry family.
10. Original Starbucks
It is believed that the most delicious coffee is brewed in Seattle, since it was in this city that the most famous coffee shop in the world, the Starbucks coffee chain, was born and grew into it.